As far as directing, yeah, I'd like to do that. But you've got to spend at least a year, year-and-a-half doing that. It's got to be something you really love. To direct a sequel to somebody else's work is not interesting to me. To do a teen comedy, I don't think is really something I'd want to spend a year of my life doing at this point. |
Eugene Levy came into the office with "A Mighty Wind" - that song - with the lyric complete, but the melody wasn't quite there yet, and he and Chris and I worked on the tune - and that's how that one became a three-person song rather than a one-person song. It's a different process every time. |
Even when there are banalities, they're usually kind of benign banalities. |
He asked us to write a song. We went home, and we were out walking the dog and started playing with lyrics and melody. Annette has a wonderful ear for music. She kind of started out in musical comedy, and she's always been a singer and dancer - but she's never been a songwriter before, but she just has a great natural sense of what sounds good. |
I don't know whether the result is substantially different, but it feels a little different. I think the only song that I wrote all by myself in this is a tune called "Killington Hill," which is not in the film but it's on the DVD. |
I know... I'm pretty smart, aren't I? |
I made some friends who are still friends, and this is the city of my birth. I love living here when there's a reason to, other than just moving here. I still don't like the winters here, but it's an amazing city and I love it. |
I think you have everyone kind of pulling on the same end of the rope. It's not like you're Robin Williams and everyone else is a deaf mute. It's like - there's plenty of help. |
I was there to be kind of the adult - to be David Spade's dad. Which was okay, and I got to do a few things. I was on 26 shows and I managed to get 20 sketches on - either as sole writer or co-writer. So I can't say that I was completely miserable. |
I'm all over the place. As you may have seen from the credits, I write with everybody. |
I'm kind of the town pump. I think I have a pretty good ear for what sounds good in this style. |
I'm not channeling anyone in particular, ... I just imagine myself living a life that I never live. I don't have the executive gene. |
One piece that looked like it was doomed - we were going to shoot it in this hotel hallway, and it was just my character musing that maybe this was just the beginning of something, maybe we were on our way out of obscurity or something, and then we were setting up to do it - and we just had to get this other shot. |
Part of it is what it's always been -- the vicarious thrill of seeing people who are much richer and more famous live lives that are wonderful, even if they are complete fakes. I think people simultaneously worship and despise celebrities. |
Some people stay in the academic world just to avoid becoming self-aware. You can quote me on that. |